Want to soak up some rays along with your local craft suds? In honor of the arrival of summer, here’s a short list of the best beer drinking patios in Los Angeles.
Besides having a lengthy list of beers brewed onsite, The Pub at Golden Road has a large, and very dog friendly, patio. Located in Glendale, right in the South-East corner of where the 134 and the 5 meet, the entire Golden Road Complex takes up three brightly colored warehouses, one of which is The Pub. Inside, you’ll find a delicious rotating lunch menu (keep your eyes peeled for the Tuna Melt) as well as a rotating guest tap, both of which are curated perfectly. They’ve got a Berliner Weisse on tap right now that pairs perfectly with sunshine.
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Nestled in a residential neighborhood in Glassel Park, Verdugo is a beer bar held to the highest standards. The beer list is expertly crafted with options for every taste and a constant list of kegs on deck that will keep you coming back. Pass through the dark booth-lined interior and you’ll enter a spacious patio lined with benches, tables, and merriment. Verdugo is constantly hosting events, food trucks, and live music, for instance “Glassware Mondays” where you get a beer and you keep the glass it comes in. Check their event page for more info.
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The Eastside is full of chic patios to nibble and sip at while watching a parade of pretty people discuss the merits of Animal Collective, for something of a completely different pace, check out the biergarten at the Red Lion Tavern. Here you’ll find sausages, cheeses, big beers and waitresses in lederhosen. Beer selection is entirely German, as is the food, but it’s all good and plentiful. There are two dim interior levels suited for more intimate discussions, but head to the patio to talk advantage of the revelry and the beer garden menu.
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Hollywood is filled with crowds or short skirts, camera toting tourists, “free personality & stress tests”, and other things that are generally necessary to avoid. However, in the middle of all this madness sits the Cat and Fiddle, a british pub with a patio that serves as a welcome respite from the throngs of the entertainment capital of the world. Their beer selection is meager, but they have recently adopted a rotating local tap. Other than that, they have standard pub fare, including Shepherd’s Pie and a surprisingly dynamite Mac and Cheese. Their patio is laden with charm-inducing bistro lights making it an almost date-friendly evening spot.
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Long Beach, understanding the value of a table in the sun, is filled with patios and outdoor seating options (including boats), but for fun in the sun on land you should head down to Beachwood BBQ & Brewing. Not to be confused with their location in Seal Beach, the Long Beach extension of Beachwood has ample patio space and is Metro Blue Line adjacent (a perk that is taken advantage of few, let’s be honest). Beachwood has their own, delicious list of beers as well as a curated beer list with items on tap, on cask, and ultimately on point. Want to do the shortest patio beer hop of all time? Walk down to Congregation Ale House after chowing down on some delicious BBQ at Beachwood. It’s worth the 30 second walk.
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For one thing, this Westside institution has 2 for 1 drink deals on Tuesday’s, combine that with a patio and it makes Renee’s a sweet deal. The interior? Odd, to say the least. Maze-like with aspects of haunted doll-house, is one way to describe it. Dive bar is another way. Renne’s is a great place to people watch and generally hang out. Beer options aren’t great, but the atmosphere are food make up for it.
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They don’t take reservations, it’s often a fight to the teeth for seating, and it gets crowded early, but damn it if Father’s Office in Culver City isn’t one of the best pub’s in the city. This decades old establishment has two locations (the original is in Santa Monica) but only the Culver spot has a long corridor of benches and tables that lets you enjoy your burger, beer and sweet potato fries in the sun. If you happen to arrive during a rush hour (which you likely will) go to the bar, get a beer, and stake out a table. And when one opens up, hold your ground cause open seats get swooped up faster than a miniskirt at a frat party.
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Am I a sucker for these divey Playa Del Rey beachside bars? Absolutely. Prince of Whales and The Shack have greasy bar food, cheery bartenders, dedicated locals, college kids, karaoke (POWs: Tue, Thur, & Sun – The Shack: Wed & Fri), trivia, and are walking distance to the beach, and I saw George Wendt from Cheers there. They’re both all-around great places with patios and beers for everyone. While they aren’t heavy on craft beer, you can get your fix at The Tripel, which is conveniently located between the two seaside establishments.
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Most things in El Segundo are a stone’s throw from the beach, but none have a patio and taplist equal to that of Rock and Brews. Tons of space and community style seating makes this watering hole a perfect place for groups looking for burgers and beers. The atmosphere is… rockin’ with loud music and people laughing away the fact that they’re all the way in El Segundo.
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